Science Club

The Chipola College Science Club
allows students who share a common interest in the sciences to get together
outside of classroom hours. In this setting, classmates can meet to discuss
their coursework, organize club activities, or just enjoy a little time
away from their busy schedule. Science Club members are also responsible
for inviting and introducing seminar speakers. The seminars are often used
as a form of extra credit in science classes and represent an ideal way
to expose a significant number of our science students to research which
applies to what they have learned in science classes. The Science Club also
spends time organizing fund-raisers for club activities, providing community-related
services, and taking part in SGA organized functions. A more detailed description
of some past year's activities follows:

Science Seminars

The Science Club typically schedules three seminars in
a semester. This year we had many good lecturers visit campus in order to
share their expertise on science-related topics. Speakers invited to give
seminars included an official from the Caverns State Park, who gave a Halloween
presentation on "Vampire Bats" (speaker shown below with Science
Club members), and an ecologist who talked about "Biodiversity in Florida."
The Science Club also took part in the Harlowe Shapley Visiting Lecturer
program in recent years. The contribution made by Chipola provided an astronomer
who gave three presentations on campus. The final seminar was given at night
and provided an opportunity for members of the community with an interest
in astronomy to listen to a leading astronomer discuss his research.

Below Science Club members watch as the National
High Magnetic Field Lab speaker Michael Smith dumps liquid nitrogen on College
Street after a "Cryogenics" seminar.

Fund-raisers

The Science Club provided refreshments at the Marianna
Radio-controlled Airplane Show in an effort to raise money for club activities.
The fund-raiser was quite successful and the students involved enjoyed the
airplane demonstrations. Money from this activity was used to provide a
reception for the Shapley Lecturer, buy supplies for Homecoming preparations,
and help pay for the Science Club trip at the end of the year. Fund-raisers
are organized throughout the year to support special Science Club projects.

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

The Science Club, in conjunction with the Honors program,
arranged for a trip to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (ariel
view shown below). The trip allowed physics students, club members, and
honors students the opportunity to visit a national lab facility and tour
the many rooms in which major scientific work is done. High current resistive
magnets, superconducting persistent magnets, and the powerful high field
hybrid magnet were shown on the tour and seemed to impress all of the tour
members. The visit also gave Chipola students the chance to talk with graduate
students at the lab and discuss educational opportunities available when
they leave Chipola to continue their studies.

Student Government Activities

Funding is provided by Chipola's SGA office to school organizations
who participate in scheduled campus activities. The Science Club competes
every year in the club competitions (tug-of-war contest shown in the figure)
which make up the Fall Festival and Spring Frolics celebrations. The Science
Club also takes part in the Homecoming activities, including the building
decoration contest, Homecoming court, and talent show competition. Student
recruitment efforts organized by the SGA office, such as the high school
Senior day, often include a table with Science Club members who show demonstrations
of the physical principles they have seen in class.

End of Year Trip

The Science Club typically takes a trip at the end of the
year to celebrate their accomplishments throughout the year, including graduation.
Some of the trips arranged included Physics Day at Six Flags (with the honors
class), white water rafting in Tennessee (group picture shown below), and
a trip to Universal Studios.

One of the favorite Science Club trips is on
our own Chipola River here in Marianna. Below is a picture of some club
members ready to jump off of the railroad tracks along the Chipola River
canoe route. There is always plenty of fun, and good food involved in the
Science Club end of year trip.

Please consider joining the science club if
you have a major or interest in the sciences. Club dues are $2.00 for
the year, and we expect you to participate in fund-raisers and community
projects only as your time allows. If you cannot make the club meetings
(which are normally posted the week before the scheduled 10 AM Wednesday
activity period ) you can join by talking to the Club Sponsor, Jeff Bodart,
or any of the officers in the club.